Select a part to view solution for common problems associated with the item.

Advice:
The term short block refers to a
rebuilt engine minus the cylinder head.
The term long block refers to a rebuilt
engine that includes a rebuilt cylinder
head.
If the engine that you are replacing
has a known good cylinder head it may
be cost effective to buy a short block
engine and reuse your old cylinder
head. It is advisable to send your
cylinder head to the machine shop to be
tested before deciding on a long or
short block engine purchase.

Advice:
There will be several linkages and
vacuum lines that will have to be
disconnected or removed during the
average engine swap.
Plastic wiring harness clips and vacuum
hose connections can become brittle and
easy to break, use caution, some of the
biggest headaches in a job are self
imposed.
Before dismantling, it's a good idea to
mark key components and the place that
they belong with colored or numbered
pieces of masking tape.
A Polaroid or digital camera is a good
tool to refresh your memory with, take
a few shots from different angles and
use them to refer to later.
Recommendations:
Masking Tape

Operation:
Exhaust manifold bolts hold the exhaust
manifold(s) to the cylinder head.
Advice:
Exhaust manifold bolt damage in the way
of head stripping and/or breakage is a
common problem. To help avoid this
headache, spray a good penetrating oil
generously over all of the exhaust
manifold bolts and allow to soak in for
ten or fifteen minutes. Repeat this
process a couple of times while you
work on other areas.
Always use a six point socket or six
point box end wrench to loosen exhaust
system bolts. A twelve point wrench,
socket or an open end wrench could
easily strip the head of a corroded
bolt.
Recommendations:
Penetrating oil
Six point socket set
Six point box end wrench set

Operation:
The intake manifold bolts are
responsible for maintaining the
pressure needed to seal the intake
manifold to the cylinder head.
Advice:
Intake manifold bolts are not always
the same length, take notes as to where
the longer and shorter bolts were
originally installed for later
referral.
Intake manifold bolts are designed to
be tightened and loosened slowly and
systematically in a specified pattern
that maintains equal pressure on the
sealing area at all times. Unequal
pressure can lead to intake manifold
damage and broken bolts.
Check the repair guides for the correct
torque specs and tightening sequence.
Recommendations:
Repair guides

Operation:
The motor mounts are responsible for
holding the engine in place and for
dampening the vibration of the engine.
Advice:
A new engine deserves new mounts.
The motor mounts are the last thing
disconnected and the first thing
connected, When lining everything up,
it's best to keep the motor mount bolts
loose so that the mount is somewhat
moveable until all bolts are hand
started.
Recommendations:
Motor mounts

Operation:
The head bolts are responsible for
maintaining the pressure necessary to
seal one of the most important gaskets
in the engine.
Advice:
Head bolts are not always the same
length, take notes as to where the
longer and shorter bolts were
originally installed for later
referral.
Head bolts are designed to be tightened
and loosened slowly and systematically
in a specified pattern that maintains
equal pressure on the sealing area at
all times.
Unequal pressure can lead to head
damage and broken cylinder head bolts.
Some head bolts are designed to be used
only once. They are called torque to
yield bolts. This style of head bolt is
designed to stretch once the proper
torque has been reached.
This stretching maintains the intense
pressure needed to seal the cylinder
head to the block. Once removed, the
bolt can not stretch properly a second
time and should be replaced.
Recommendations:
Head bolts for short block installation.

Advice:
The water pump and the oil pump are two
of the most important parts on the
engine. If either one is inoperative
for very long the engine is subject to
irreparable damage. A new oil pump is
usually included with the replacement
engine. It's worth the extra money to
install a new water pump as well to
ensure that your new engine will last
and give you good service for the money
you've invested.
For more information select the "Job
Info" tab under water pump lookup.

Advice:
Before installing any new gaskets it is
very important to compare the new
gaskets with the old ones. All passages
must align correctly for proper
sealing.
When the intake and exhaust manifolds
are located on the same side of the
head, they often share a gasket, or
their gaskets are joined together to
ease the assembly process.
This style of intake/exhaust manifold
setup will usually have several bolts
that pull down on both manifolds at the
same time.
These bolts will often have a large
flat or convex washer to distribute the
load evenly across both manifolds.
Ensure that these washers are properly
in place and not cocked to one side
before tightening the bolts.
Always tighten the bolts to
specifications in small increments
following the correct tightening
sequence found in the repair guides.
Recommendations:
Repair guides

Operation:
Gasket sealant is used to fill in the
small imperfections in the gasket
material and the sealing surfaces to be
joined.
Advice:
Before deciding on which type gasket
sealant that you need, take a good look
at the gaskets that you are replacing.
Many gaskets now come with a bead of
sealant already applied.
If the engine you are working on is
computer controlled, make sure that any
sealant you buy is safe for oxygen
sensors.
For paper and fibrous gaskets, a thin
coat of sealant on both sides of the
gasket is sufficient. Unless otherwise
noted, there is no need to use gasket
sealant on rubber gaskets.
Recommendations:
Gasket sealant

Advice:
A new engine deserves new belts, hoses
and hose clamps.
For more information select the "Job
Info" tab under belt or hose lookup.
Recommendations:
Belts
Hoses
Hose clamps

Operation:
Engine coolant is a 50/50 mixture of
antifreeze and water. Besides
protecting against freezing, antifreeze
also has lubricant and anticorrosive
additives that help to prolong the life
of the cooling system components.
Advice:
Any muddiness or brown coloration is an
indication of dirt or rust in the
system.
As antifreeze ages the lubricants and
anticorrosive properties wear out,
leaving the system susceptible to
corrosion. Modern antifreezes have
varying life span expectancies. If you
are unsure how long your antifreeze is
good for, a general rule of thumb is to
flush the system and refill with fresh
coolant every two years.
Some manufacturers recommend a specific
type of antifreeze, such as GM's
Dex-cool. Check the repair guides for
the vehicle that you are working on.
Recommendations:
Repair guides
Antifreeze

Advice:
Some engine designs require that the
thermostat be installed with the vent
or bypass hole in a certain position.
Failure to position the thermostat
properly can cause engine overheating.
Check the repair guides for the vehicle
you are working on.
Recommendations:
Repair guides

Operation:
Air pockets trapped in the cooling
system can cause the engine to
overheat. Some cooling systems have air
bleed valves built into the system to
aid in the removal of air pockets.
Advice:
For many cooling systems, the method of
removing air pockets is to start the
engine and allow it to run with the
radiator cap off or loose until all the
air escapes from the neck of the
radiator.
For some systems this method is not
sufficient, and the manufacturer has
installed air bleed valves usually near
or on the thermostat housing. Consult
the repair guides for the vehicle you
are working on.
Recommendations:
Repair guides

Operation:
The cylinder head mounts on top of the
engine block and seals the top of the
combustion chambers. Most, and on some
engines all of the valve train
components are housed in the cylinder
head.
Advice:
In most cases, any work that is to be
done on the cylinder head(s) should be
left to a capable machine shop.
For more information select the "Job
Info" tab under head gasket lookup.

Operation:
Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission have a flexplate, vehicles
equipped with a standard transmission
have a flywheel. Both flywheels and
flexplates have a ring gear that the
starter interacts with to crank the
engine.
Advice:
Check the ring gear for chipped or worn
teeth.
In the case of a flexplate, check for
cracks between and around the flexplate
mounting bolts.
If damage is found in either area, the
flywheel/flexplate should be replaced.
Recommendations:
Replace a cracked or worn
flexplate/Flywheel.

Operation:
The harmonic balancer repair sleeve
restores the worn seal surface to a
like new condition. This prevents oil
leaks when a new seal is installed.
Advice:
Always install a repair sleeve if the
seal surface of the balancer is worn or
grooved. If the seal surface is not
worn or grooved, lightly sand the seal
surface area with emery cloth where the
seal makes contact with the balancer.
Recommendations:
Harmonic balancer repair sleeve
Emery cloth

Operation:
The harmonic balancer is sometimes
called a torsion damper. The balancer
absorbs the pulses caused by the power
stroke of each piston allowing the
crankshaft to spin smoothly in the
engine block. It also provides the
reference point for ignition timing and
distributor installations.
Advice:
The harmonic balancer plays an
important role in smooth engine
operation and preventing premature wear
to the main bearings. Always inspect
the harmonic balancer's outer inertia
ring and the rubber bonding material
that holds it to the balancer. If the
rubber bond is broken or severely
cracked and deteriorated, the balancer
should be replaced. Sometimes the outer
inertia ring will slip or turn on the
balancer preventing the timing marks
from aligning properly. If this
happens, the balancer should be
replaced.
Advice:
New harmonic balancer

*This image does not represent the actual look
of your selected vehicle. Please refer to any car manual to see
specific part.